Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Damascus, Syria, on Jan. 15. Visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on regional challenges, such as terrorism and preparation for the Geneva II peace conference that aims to solve the Syrian conflict, state-run SANA news agency reported. (Xinhua/SANA)